Extreme weather events have been a fact of life in the United States for centuries, though their frequency and intensity have been steadily increasing over recent decades – the annual average of these events was 6 per year from 1980 to 2019, now up to 23 per year from 2020-2024.
Now, with the nation still reeling from the flash floods that devastated Texas and claimed the lives of 27 young campers, New Mexico is now suffering its own flash floods. Monsoon rains have arrived in the state, resulting in the Rio Ruidoso in Lincoln County rising from three feet to twenty feet in under an hour.
The waters in the village of Ruidoso were so torrential and so violent that they lifted a house from its foundations, leaving terrified onlookers watching as it floated past them:
WATCH: Structure swept away by flash flooding at Rio Ruidoso River in New Mexico. pic.twitter.com/fvnQLqUiA6
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) July 8, 2025
Kaitlyn Carpenter filmed it, saying she was traveling through Ruidoso on her motorcycle when the weather turned nasty. She took shelter in a nearby brewery and watched in horror as the water just kept coming and coming. In a depressing twist, Carpenter recognized the house’s turquoise door, realizing it belonged to her best friend’s family.
As she told the AP: “I’ve been in that house and have memories in that house, so seeing it come down the river was just pretty heartbreaking. I just couldn’t believe it.” Fortunately, nobody was in the house at the time, and all family members are accounted for. But, sadly, others have not been so lucky.
Search and rescue still underway
Authorities have confirmed that a 4-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy, and a 40-to-50-year-old man from the village were swept downstream by the torrent and confirmed dead. Many others are in danger, with 50-60 people plucked from the water and multiple search-and-rescue operations still underway.
In a darkly ironic twist, Ruidoso suffered wildfires this time last year, sending residents fleeing from flames that consumed 1,400 structures. That flooding left the soil unstable, meaning the effects of today’s floods were amplified, a stark example of how weather events like these can compound one another over time.
Events like this also underline that nowhere is a sanctuary from extreme weather, which may come in the form of snow, wildfires, hurricanes, or flash flooding. It’s fair to say that the geography of the United States means it’s inevitable that extreme weather events will happen, but with each one, the argument that maybe it isn’t the greatest idea to fire up the coal-burning power plants gets stronger.
